Smart Buys for Your Back to School Student

Summers never seem to last long enough, and before you know it, you're surfing the web for research rather than the ocean waves for fun. It's a bummer, but only if you let it be. Rather than slip into a deep depression as you count down the number of days until next summer, try focusing on the good things that come with going back to school, like new tech gear!

DRM issues, poor performance, and crashing servers

If you’re like us, you like the Internet, but there are unfortunately downsides to the service. It seems that over the years, developers have been releasing unfinished buggy games, hoping to just patch the situation later.

Seagate 1TB Hybrid vs. WD Black2 Dual Drive

Every mobile user who is limited to just one storage bay wants the best of both worlds: SSD speeds with HDD capacities. Both Seagate and WD have a one-drive solution to this problem, with Seagate offering a hybrid 1TB hard drive with an SSD cache for SSD-esque performance, and WD offering a no-compromise 2.5-inch drive with both an SSD and an HDD. These drives are arch rivals, so it’s time to settle the score.

The doctor tackles Too Much GPU, WiFi Upgrades, Disabling SkyDrive, and more

Question: From Integrated to Top-Shelf

After almost 30 years developing software on stock PCs I finally performed my first build from the pages of Maximum PC. I scoured your pages from many issues and planned a build during a long weekend and it’s been purring along for 18 months.

I have a Core i5-3570K on an Asus P8Z77.V board, with 16GB RAM, two 128GB SSDs, a 3TB backup drive, and 850W PSU in an NZXT Phantom 410 chassis. Now I’m thinking of adding a graphics card. I don’t do a lot with graphics and so I’ve managed with on-board, but I might do more. The 780 Ti sounds very cool. Will it work well in this system? Will overall performance improve? Apart from a Hyper 212 CPU cooler, I’m only using the Phantom’s stock fans… will I need more cooling?

We compare stock Watch Dogs against Worse Mod 1.0

Our last attempt at comparing the stock graphics of Watch Dogs received some fair criticism. Coupling SweetFX and TheWorse Mod led to noticeably darker graphics that threw off our results. You all spoke, and we listened. Here's our second take on the Worse Mod which is now in its final incarnation:version 1.0.

We tour the burgeoning world of wee PCs

In case you haven’t noticed, the PC is getting smaller. But it’s not getting smaller in the way the PC fatalists see it. If anything, enthusiast PCs have gotten larger. Witness Corsair’s 900D, Cooler Master’s Cosmos SE, and Digital Storm’s Aventum II.

Note: This feature was originally featured in the March 2014 issue of the magazine.

Spin-offs of old case favorites square off

Ah, Cooler Master and Corsair. We know you well, especially since the cases we’re checking out here are derivatives of cases that have previously been featured in Maximum PC’s annual opus, the fabled Dream Machine.

The doctor tackles Too Much GPU, Wi-Fi Upgrades, Disabling SkyDrive, and more

From Integrated to Top-Shelf

After almost 30 years developing software on stock PCs, I finally performed my first build from the pages of Maximum PC. I scoured your pages from many issues and planned a build during a long weekend and it’s been purring along for 18 months.

Two CPU coolers combine forces in different ways

Closed-loop liquid coolers (CLCs) have a number of advantages for enthusiasts. They can overclock higher than an air cooler but they don't require the expense, fiddling, or maintenance of a full-on custom loop. However, there hasn't been a lot of variety in the basic design lately. So today, we're taking a look at two CLCs that have broken from the herd. Cooler Master is working with Swiftech, which usually makes parts for custom loops, and Antec is putting its pump on the fans itself.

How to save lots of money without sacrificing quality, performance, or features

Our Cheapskate’s Guide has become an annual installment in the magazine, because for most of us working stiffs, the ability to stretch a dollar and get more for less is always relevant. For some of us, it means that our love of technology and all its amazing uses won’t get in the way of us paying the rent or putting new Crocs on our kids’ feet. For others, saving money is more a matter of personal pride—the result of knowing the ins and outs of getting a good deal. Only suckers pay the sticker price! Whatever motivates your cheapskate tendencies, we say embrace them, and this year we offer our support in the form of tips for savvy shopping, guidance on making wise hardware purchases, pointers to killer deals in digital entertainment, and a whole lot more. Just don’t spend your savings foolishly!

Note: This review was originally featured in the March 2014 issue of the magazine.